[mazda noob]

Hi,
I test drove CX-30 premium (north US build) at two different dealerships... both brand new cars (<15 miles on odo). While I absolutely loved them, the brake paddle did not feel "usual". At stop signs, applied soft brake from less then 5mph speed, it kept rolling past stop sign and took its sweet little time to come to stop. Another stop sign, tried hard brake, same thing. Brake paddle was not squishy at all and did not have the usual travel distance that other cars generally have. It was very firm with very limited travel.
Tried to come to stop at traffic light from about 15 mph.. gradual slowing. Once again it did n't stop exactly on the dime but took its time to come to halt.
Same thing at different dealership. I tried CX-5 touring and signature, and it worked as you would expect it to work - stopping on dime when called for.

In other words, braking felt extremely vague on the CX-30s.

I am not sure if it was a "new brake" issue that just settles down as you drive it for 50-60 miles.. or it is a fundamentally different braking system.

Question to the community? Have you all seen this behavior? if you did, do you just get used to a different brake pad feeling or does it actually improve with usage?
Appreciate any insights that you can provide before I put my teenager behind the wheel of a new CX-30. Please chime in with your experience.

TIA,
N M

 

[naranja]

I didn't have any issues adjusting to the braking coming from a 2012 Civic. After about 1000 miles I don't notice any change in how my CX-30 stops. Here's a quote from one of the early reviews that talks about the brakes.

"...As Mazda’s highly-nerdy engineer Dave Coleman explained to me, the brake pedal operation was simplified to use just calf muscles instead of weaker shin muscles. The pedal operation is a short push, but a stiff one with more effort required than usual. It feels positive and progressive without the long soft pedal most cars are known for. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s really good..."

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 Feels Like A Lower-Budget Porsche Macan

The first crossover I ever drove was a mid-2000s Mazda Tribute, a re-badged version of Ford’s Escape, in turn based on Mazda’s old 626 sedan (GF) platform. It was my mother’s first new car since 1991, and it was decidedly un-good. Now, if you want proof of how far Mazda has stepped up its game...

jalopnik.com

 

[conwelpic]

did you not ask the people at the dealership when you returned from the test drive, to find out what they had to say from what you observed?

 

[steve67]

No issues here...
Start stop is different. Coming from a manual cx3, which was restarted when clutch was pressed. The CX30 manual is restarted when put in gear, this is with autohold on..

That's for us who drive on the wrong side of the road with a stick thing in the console and an Extra pedal ??

 

[carbonized]

I test drove the cx-30 a couple times...northern US here as well. But I didn't notice anything odd about the brakes. I wonder if the ones you drove had dust or water on them?

 

[bruceboss]

On my test drive, I thought the brake pedal was stiff and needed extra pressure.
When I mentioned it to the salesman he said the brakes need bedding in?

 

[mazda noob]

did you not ask the people at the dealership when you returned from the test drive, to find out what they had to say from what you observed?

Of course I did.. response was that we just got this and pdi'd them. They didn't have a clue about what I was asking.

 

[mazda noob]

I test drove the cx-30 a couple times...northern US here as well. But I didn't notice anything odd about the brakes. I wonder if the ones you drove had dust or water on them?

I didn't have any issues adjusting to the braking coming from a 2012 Civic. After about 1000 miles I don't notice any change in how my CX-30 stops. Here's a quote from one of the early reviews that talks about the brakes.

"...As Mazda’s highly-nerdy engineer Dave Coleman explained to me, the brake pedal operation was simplified to use just calf muscles instead of weaker shin muscles. The pedal operation is a short push, but a stiff one with more effort required than usual. It feels positive and progressive without the long soft pedal most cars are known for. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s really good..."

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 Feels Like A Lower-Budget Porsche Macan

The first crossover I ever drove was a mid-2000s Mazda Tribute, a re-badged version of Ford’s Escape, in turn based on Mazda’s old 626 sedan (GF) platform. It was my mother’s first new car since 1991, and it was decidedly un-good. Now, if you want proof of how far Mazda has stepped up its game...

jalopnik.com

That quote you posted helps me.make sense of what I experienced. Thank you for sharing that info.

 

[efi]

I also got a little weird from the previous vehicles I had.
In the CX-30 (2020), the response to the brake pedal is harder, the brake is weaker and you need to press harder on the pedal.
Don't understand why they did it that way.

 

[steve67]

my son who has the mazda3, has just had a recall for the smart brake system activating when normal driving and istop not restarting, not that he has had any of these problems. booking it in for a software update...could this be related?

 

[Lordhenry]

Commments on the brakes on my CX-30 : Only picked up my CX-30 Skyactiv GT Sport Tech a week ago. Had an interesting chat with my sales exec. (long experience with selling Mazdas, but not a mechanic by background). He'd just come back from a Mazda technical familiarisation course. One of the things he learnt was about the braking system on the CX-30. Whilst I'm mechanically minded, I'm not familiar with how modern tech has moved on with how things happen under the skin with very modern cars. My exec said it was explained to him that, because of the regenerative braking, the link between the brake pedal and the actual braking system is effectively 'drive by wire'. In other words there isn't a direct link via the pedal to the braking system, but via an electronic system. Mazda have input what the physical resistance of the pedal will feel like. I've noted on some You Tube reviews, they comment about the pedal feeling 'harder' than encountered on most other cars. Perhaps Mazda have programmed in too much resistance for drivers used to a more mechanically connected system (via a servo nowadays of course). I have noticed that the pedal feels very 'solid' when I apply my brakes, but the braking force is very 'controllable'. I went out for a 50 mile pleasure drive today to help bed engine/brakes/tyres in a bit, and did some country lane work. I never had an qualms with how the brakes performed, but obviously I wasn't giving the car a lot of 'wellie', bearing in mind it's newness (Note, I am a pensioner with legs stolen from a chicken, and I'd not had Weatabix for breakfast either !).

 

[efi]

Commments on the brakes on my CX-30 : Only picked up my CX-30 Skyactiv GT Sport Tech a week ago. Had an interesting chat with my sales exec. (long experience with selling Mazdas, but not a mechanic by background). He'd just come back from a Mazda technical familiarisation course. One of the things he learnt was about the braking system on the CX-30. Whilst I'm mechanically minded, I'm not familiar with how modern tech has moved on with how things happen under the skin with very modern cars. My exec said it was explained to him that, because of the regenerative braking, the link between the brake pedal and the actual braking system is effectively 'drive by wire'. In other words there isn't a direct link via the pedal to the braking system, but via an electronic system. Mazda have input what the physical resistance of the pedal will feel like. I've noted on some You Tube reviews, they comment about the pedal feeling 'harder' than encountered on most other cars. Perhaps Mazda have programmed in too much resistance for drivers used to a more mechanically connected system (via a servo nowadays of course). I have noticed that the pedal feels very 'solid' when I apply my brakes, but the braking force is very 'controllable'. I went out for a 50 mile pleasure drive today to help bed engine/brakes/tyres in a bit, and did some country lane work. I never had an qualms with how the brakes performed, but obviously I wasn't giving the car a lot of 'wellie', bearing in mind it's newness (Note, I am a pensioner with legs stolen from a chicken, and I'd not had Weatabix for breakfast either !).

Hi, I also have a strange braking sensation at my cx-30 2.0L, Executive.
It seems like that all cx's this.
Wonder what Mazda has to say about it?

 

[MAZman]

In my opinion the brakes DO require a bit more pressure to apply but nothing unreasonable and not squishy, at least not in the two CX-30's I have driven. Most vehicles have unique attributes i.e. braking, steering, accelerator feel, etc. and it just requires some time to adapt. Certainly something I would have the dealer check on if you feel uncomfortable with.

 

[Redlugnut]

In my opinion the brakes DO require a bit more pressure to apply but nothing unreasonable and not squishy, at least not in the two CX-30's I have driven. Most vehicles have unique attributes i.e. braking, steering, accelerator feel, etc. and it just requires some time to adapt. Certainly something I would have the dealer check on if you feel uncomfortable with.

I agree with this post. While I do consider the pressure for the brakes to be a bit higher than my previous Mazda6 it is not a problem for me. The brakes in my 2010 MX-5 need a similar amount of force to operate and have been that way since new.

 

[mp2021]

Hi. I just bought a new 2021 CX30 SEL a week ago and noticed right away the brakes not having the squishy feel and that it takes a little extra pressure than normal for stopping. The above posts seem to indicate that this is how Mazda designed these. Can someone please confirm this is normal? or should i take it to back to the dealer for service? Thx

 

[20CX30JBM]

Hi. I just bought a new 2021 CX30 SEL a week ago and noticed right away the brakes not having the squishy feel and that it takes a little extra pressure than normal for stopping. The above posts seem to indicate that this is how Mazda designed these. Can someone please confirm this is normal? or should i take it to back to the dealer for service? Thx

Seems to be common. My 2020 is like others have commented, takes additional pressure than "normal".

 

[Leo_B]

The brakes are different. The pedal feel and travel isn't what one is used to. A couple weeks and 150 miles and now they are 100% normal. It's a quick learning curve. Not sure how to describe or explain it but just keep pressing and it will stop as well as any car out there.